Teshburl
| demonym = | languages = Alzhedo | races = | religion = | currency = | population1 = 190,000According to census-taker Vizar Achmed el Imnt of Calimport, this figure was "altered ridiculously". It included all slaves and dependent rural families, whereas other population figures recorded here do not. (See Empires of the Shining Sea page 99.) | popyear1 = 1357 | population2 = 21,800 | popyear2 = 1370 | population3 = | popyear3 = | population4 = | popyear4 = | population5 = | popyear5 = | imports = | exports = Cords and ropes, fish, nets, ships, ships' equipment, shipwrights | alignment = | allegiances = | socrefs = | founded = | destroyed = | government = | rulertype = Sultan | ruler1 = Mond el Vitendi | ruleryear1 = 1357 | ruler2 = | ruleryear2 = | ruler3 = | ruleryear3 = | ruler4 = | ruleryear4 = | ruler5 = | ruleryear5 = | rulertable = | govrefs = | usethe = | useon = | inhabitants = yes | locations = yes | organizations = yes | settlements = | roads = yes | events = yes | food and drink = yes | items = yes }} Teshburl was the most isolated town of Calimshan. It was the secondary shipbuilding site for the Nallojal; everything in the town revolved around the navy, and Teshburl served as the nation's headquarters and primary port for it. Geography and Layout Most cartographers and navigators considered Teshburl to mark the place where the Shining Sea and the Sea of Swords met. It was located at the southwestern tip of Calimshan and surrounded by the Calim Desert. The coast around Teshburl was rocky and consisted of many steep cliffs. Teshburl was divided into six sabbans of nineteen drudachs. Nallojal Sabban was the westernmost district of the town and included the majority of the docks and waterfront properties. As its name implied, this was a military-controlled locale. Located next to it was Kadhatarna Sabban, another coastal sabban. As of 1370 DR, the navy was expanding its control and ownership into this area as well, and nearly every tavern and inn in this sabban was owned by retired sailors or naval officers. The northernmost sabban was named Qeldan Sabban. It included the sultan's estate. One of the other three remaining sabbans was called Anvil Sabban, and was the area of the town where smithies congregated. Government Syl-Ralbahr of the Nallojal, Sultan Mond el Vitendi was fleet admiral of Calimshan and ruler of Teshburl. He had controlled Teshburl from as early as 1357 DR under Syl-Pasha Rashid el Djenispool. At that time he held the rank of ralbahr. Mond was a personal friend of Ralan el Pesarkhal, and when the latter rose to power he had Mond promoted to syl-ralbahr and appointed as sultan of the town. He ruled from a building known as the Penitent's House. Mond oversaw the construction of the ever-growing fleet of first el Djenispool and then el Pesarkhal. He left the daily management of the town to his vizar, Apu el Jhodan. Apu replaced the previous vizar, Adsahl el Madhaem, after Mond el Vitendi had him removed from power over "disagreements" in 1355 DR. Law Enforcement Teshburl maintained a town watch of 320 amlakkar in 1370 DR. In that same year, the Nallojal had at least 35 ships in port with almost 1,000 sailors and officers to man the vessels. The entire Teshburl fleet was composed of 64 ships. When all ships were in port, the town could have as many as 3,000 navy personnel present. The government of Teshburl was corrupt, and the navy did little to stop the black marketeers, slavers, and smugglers who used the port, instead making money off their presence there. In fact, the guild of burglars and thieves in Teshburl was controlled by the el Vitendi family, who were in turn subservient to el Pesarkhal. Trade Because land travel to Teshburl was so difficult, almost everyone, including traders, entered and exited the port town by ship. The Coast Trail did pass through Teshburl, but it was little used because of the rocky terrain, and travel across the desert was dangerous. In addition to the warships for the navy, the town produced all manner of rope, cord, and nets and other equipment for sailing. Fishing was a major industry as well. Society Almost everything in this town revolved around the sea trade and the navy. Children here were raised to play with toy boats as opposed to the toy wagons those from other places might receive. Almost every soul in Teshburl was human, and eleven out of twelve were sailors or involved in the sea trade in some other way. There were very few farms and only a select few caravanners. Slavery was not as rampant here as in other Calishite cities, and only the highest-ranking officials relied on slave labor. In 1370 DR, except for small shrines to gods in control of weather and the sea, there were no major temples in the city. Wizards and their magic were also not as common here as in other places in Calimshan; those who did practice magic tended to focus on spells useful for naval combat. History In the Year of Dark Venom, 37 DR, a massive tidal wave struck Teshburl and four other cities of Calimshan, flooding the town and causing severe destruction. Two-thirds of the town was lost. In 320 DR, the town was affected by the terrible Infernal Death plague. During the Eighth Age of Calimshan, massive sea storms struck and destroyed more than half of Teshburl's ships. In the late fourteenth century DR, it was discovered that certain evil cults had been stealing children from their beds. This revelation led to a massive uprising in the city, in which the population destroyed the temples of evil gods, such as Bane, Bhaal, and Cyric. In their zeal, other temples were destroyed as well, leaving Teshburl without any major religious centers by 1370 DR. Ever since the removal of Vizar Adsahl el Madhaem in 1355 DR, the navy took over more and more property from private owners in the town. Rumors and Legends The admiral's white-marbled estate had streaks of red in its stones. Legends stated that these were the results of the blood spilled by Marak yn Kahdan el Vitendi, one of Mond el Vitendi's relatives from the time of the Shoon Imperium. Mond el Vitendi had anyone who suggested such an idea promptly executed. The location of the Mourning Mast also included a statue of a Lonely Widow. Legends claimed that a heartbroken widow turned to stone on hearing of the death of her husband at sea as she stood on the cliff's edge waiting for him. The inn and tavern known as The Roving Rune was said to contain magical mosaics that could bring joy to anyone so fortunate as to be able to touch one of its wandering runes. Finally, Teshburl contained a local legend known as the Red Rysal. This vigilante captain defended the common folk of the town against corruption for decades, and his (or her) true identity remained a mystery to most. (He was the one who first discovered how the townspeople's children were being stolen.) Notable Locations ; Bold Jhyak's : This tavern, unlike the rest in Teshburl, was modeled after a rustic northern roadhouse, and it tended to be a place where adventurers would visit. ; The Mourning Mast : This monument was located on the southeastern cliffs of the town and was a traditional site of mourning for widows. ; The Penitent's House : This two-story marble former family shrine for el Vitendi served as the official government building for the sultan of Teshburl. ; The Roving Rune : This inn and tavern was a former mage's tower, and it still contained strange magics in its walls. ; Samahl's Cords : This rope- and net-maker's shop was the headquarters for the Guild of Cordwainers and Netmakers in Teshburl. ; The Yanatralbahr : This palace was the estate of the Syl-Ralbahr and his family. Its high marble walls and six buildings dominated the skyline of the town. Notable Inhabitants In 1370 DR, notable inhabitants of Teshburl included: * Samahl el Cahrad, the owner of Samahl's Cords, a retired rysal, * Atiq el Catahras and his family, the proprietors of the Roving Rune, * Pasha Syan yn Asraf al Derak yi Volothamp, the leader of the Guild of Gemcutters and the Guild of Whitesmiths and a member of the Knights of the Shield, * Kadila adh Vitendi, illegitimate daughter of Mond el Vitendi, who later escaped and moved to Waterdeep to become a Sun Soul monk, * Kanar yn Baral el Ehrat, the current Red Rysal in 1370, * Edif el Gahrat, the nephew of Mond el Vitendi from Calimport and the sultan's secret advisor on underworld activities in the town, * Vizar Apu el Jhodan, * "Bold Jhyak", an ex-adventurer and the owner of Bold Jhyak's, * Sultan Mond el Vitendi, and * Amhir Oadif el Wajin, a rare half-elf and an escaped harem slave from Volothamp who was an officer of the amlakkar. Appendix Notes References Category:Towns Category:Ports Category:Large cities Category:Locations on the Coast Trail Category:Locations in the Sea of Swords Category:Locations on the Shining Sea Category:Locations in Calimshan Category:Locations in the Lands of Intrigue Category:Locations in West Faerûn Category:Locations in Faerûn Category:Locations on Toril Category:Exports fish